Premise: Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) is a journalist who was adopted as a child by Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane) after he was transported to Earth from the dying planet of Krypton. Raised with the values of his adoptive parents, he feels alienated because of his unique super powers, and struggles to find his own place in life. When the world is attacked, he becomes the hero named Superman to protect the Earth and its people.
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My take: With the obvious exception of Batman, the characters of DC Comics have not had much luck making it to the silver screen. And for fans, it’s been frustrating to watch as Warner Bros. flounders around with little to no idea what to do with all the characters they own. But it looks like that might finally change, as the plan is to create a shared universe of DC characters on film, starting with a new take on Superman brought to us by director Zack Snyder and producer Christopher Nolan. This third trailer for Man of Steel is not only the best one yet it has absolutely cemented this as one of my most anticipated films of summer 2013.
The film really has one hell of a cast, and many of the actors are shown to good effect here. I’m now convinced that Henry Cavill was the right choice for the part of Clark Kent/Superman. He was exactly the kind of majestic presence the character needs, and he seems to be the first actor to truly embody the role since the late Christopher Reeve. Similarly, I think Amy Adams is perfect for Lois Lane; I can totally buy her as a tough-as-nails journalist who is Superman’s intellectual equal – and for anyone who complains that Lois is supposed to have dark hair, she was a redhead in the comics from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. He finally get to see some more of Michael Shannon as General Zod, and it looks like he’s going to deliver a truly unhinged take on the character, very different from what Terence Stamp did with Zod in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), as well as being a believable physical menace for Cavill’s Superman. I know he’s been largely relegated to being a punch line for a while now – for reasons that, admittedly, are partially his own fault – but Kevin Costner is a great actor when he’s paired with the right material, and if the “You are my son” moment is any indication, I think he’s going to nail the role of Superman’s adoptive father Jonathan Kent. Russell Crowe looks to be bringing his usual gravitas to the part of Jor-El, Superman’s biological father, and I’m sure he’ll make the most of his probably limited screen time. We only get a brief look at Antje Traue as Zod’s right-hand woman Faora, and I’m curious to see what she gets to do. I’m surprised that we haven’t seen much of Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, chief editor of the Daily Planet, but I’m sure he’ll get some good stuff to do. And the always-reliable Christopher Meloni and Richard Schiff are on hand as, respectively, Colonel Hardy and Dr. Emil Hamilton.
I really like storyline they’re setting up, which is clearly a different take on the Superman origin story than what Richard Donner did with the original Superman. For example, as illustrated in the moment early on of the woman talking about young Clark saving the bus shows that if humanity were really confronted with a truly superior being – even one who just wants to help – we would be jealous and afraid instead of grateful. Seeing Superman come to be in a world that doesn’t want him will definitely make for an interesting watch. And I like the element that Lois Lane has been following the story about a mysterious super-powered individual for a while even before Superman reveals himself. This makes her character more proactive, and is a perfect way to have her involved in the proceedings in the early goings.
Henry Cavill in “Man of Steel.” © 2013 – Warner Bros. Pictures.
I also really dig the look and style of what we see here. Zack Snyder is obviously a director known for his visuals – his detractors would say that this comes at the expense of other parts of his films – and that’s certainly the case here. The look of Krypton and the Kryptonian society is very different from the crystal-based look from the Donner film, and has more in common with Asgard from Thor (2011), but still distinct enough that we can’t accuse them of ripping off Marvel. Meanwhile, the outdoor scenes on Earth have exactly the kind of beautiful, painterly feel that fits the character of Superman. I think Snyder and cinematographer Amir Mokri have done some great work here.
More than either of the previous trailers, this one really shows off the action in the film. To go with the idea of humanity not trusting Superman, we’re going to get some scenes of Supes fighting the military, which we’ve never seen in live-action before. Plus, there’s all the Kryptonian tech that Zod and his followers seem to have on their side, particularly that giant machine with the tentacles that we briefly glimpse. And for all the people, including me, who complained that the hero never punched anyone in Superman Returns, the last action beat of the trailer shows a moment of an aerial battle with Superman punching one of the evil Kryptonians and sending them flying.
All in all, this is a great trailer for what could be a really great film. While I had some misgivings early on, I’m now fully onboard with this movie. For a long time, people who aren’t really familiar with the character have said that modern audiences can’t relate to Superman. I sincerely hope that Man of Steel is a huge hit and finally give lie to that notion. With an amazing cast, great behind-the-camera talent, striking visuals, and kickass action, this could definitely be one of the highlights of summer 2013. No matter what, you can bet money that I’ll be going to see Man of Steel on opening weekend.
ANTICIPATION: “The Man of Tomorrow” can’t get here soon enough.
Release Date: June 14th, 2013
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Russell Crowe, Harry Lennix, Christopher Meloni, and Richard Schiff
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan, based on Superman by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
Timothy Monforton